Melancholy Melody
by drbriar25782
Summary: Angela used to pour out the melancholy melodies that filled her soul by playing the piano. A tragedy strikes shortly after her senior year in high school and she hasn't played in years, instead she focused on her love of archaeology and ignored her passion in music. She wasn't prepared for what laid ahead when she accepted a fellowship in Italy. (Author Note added in Chapter 1)
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fan fiction. The Twilight Series and characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. I'm just playing around in the fabulous world for pure entertainment.**

**- Author Note - **

**Some of my characterization and age of my interpretations of Twilight characters may differ from the real Stephanie Meyer characters; i.e. I'm not happy that Marcus is a 40 something who in my opinion wasn't all that attractive in the movies but that he changed at the age of 19 doesn't fit with what I have planned in this story so I'm probably going to make him a little older and much more attractive for my purposes. Another example, Angela's brothers are 9 years old; I need them a little older for their small role in these early chapters of my story so they're going to age little. Please understand this as you read and if there are discrepancies from what you know of the Twilight universe - this may explain why. And like I said in my disclaimer . . . ****I'm playing around in this fabulous world created by Stephanie Meyer for pur entertainment. **

* * *

She laid a single finger on the key. She felt the dust cling to her finger - the piano hadn't been touched in a very long time.

"I don't know if I can do this," she whispered, to no one in particular as her eyes traveled up and down the yellowing keys.

_Yes, you can._

She took a deep breath and placed both hands on the what had once been brilliant ivory keys, she placed her bare feet against the cold golden levers and slowly leaned forward.

_You can do it._

"I don't want too," she whispered in return.

_You need to._

She took a deep breath and sighed.

"Only once," she said, as if to convince herself and silent the other voice. With another deep breath, her fingers found their home and pressed down.

The melancholy melody slowly began to pour from her soul, as if the looming presence was spilling from her fingertips. She closed her eyes and let the deep harmonious sounds grab hold of her. She found her mind flowing with fluidity the notes and forgetting the tumultuous thoughts that were crushing her as of late. Time seemed to slow down and she lost herself in the crescendos of the music spilling from her body to the ancient instrument in front of her.

When she finally surfaced from beneath the music, the sun had set and the only light in the room was from the moon. She took a deep breath and shivered as she breathed him in. The musty and dusty smell of the room mixed in stark contrast with the rich and smokey leather and deep mahogany of her companion. His scent hadn't wavered in all the time they had known each other - it was one of only a few constants that remained in her life after so long.

"Thank you Marcus," she said as she felt his presence for the first time. "I didn't realize how much I needed a release like that." She knew that he had been nearby since she first set foot in the room and sat down at the piano bench.

"There's no need to thank me Angela," he whispered, a finger trailing across the bare skin of her shoulders and her skin burned at his touch. "I needed that as much as you did."


	2. Chapter 2

FIVE YEARS EARLIER

"There isn't anything you can do?" she asked for the fifth time. Angela's day was going from bad to worse by the minute. She didn't know whether to laugh hysterically or sob uncontrollably. All she knew was that it couldn't get much worse.

"Once the gate closes we can't let more passengers on," said the customer service rep behind the ticket counter. Angela's flight from Seattle, Washington to New York got delayed due to weather and she had raced across the vast airport in hopes of making her connecting flight. But she had turned the corner as the gate door was closing and was now staring out the window of JFK International Airport at the plane that was to take her from New York to Italy.

"But the plane is still at the gate..."

"Miss Weber, there isn't anything I can do. The policy is.."

"I understand," she muttered under her breath as another disgruntled passenger stepped in front of her. The weather on the West Coast hadn't just affected her - she counted five other passengers in the same situation she was in.

She leaned against the cool steel column and closed her eyes, fighting back the tears. Her emotions were all over the place and she didn't want to lose her head in such a public place. Even if she felt the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Last night had been an emotional roller coaster as she was had spent hours ending her relationship with Ben. The couple had been together since high school - counting junior prom as the official start of their relationship. Ben was there for her when her world fell apart senior year and they had stuck together as they entered their freshman year of college at the University of Washington.

But their relationship had hit some stumbling blocks when senior year had started and Angela found herself delving into pre-doctorate in archaeology and classical studies and Ben finding himself swarmed in journalism and photography assignments for his internship. The changes in their lives had been hard on Angela; they had seen less and less of each other and she had been contemplating ending the relationship. She loved Ben but had come to realize she wasn't in love with him.

Then a month ago she received a call she wasn't expecting. Over a year ago she had applied for the Helen M. Woodruff Fellowship of the Archaeological Institute of America and the American Academy in Rome and after hearing nothing, finally accepted that it wasn't meant to be. But the call changed all that - she had received the fellowship and she was to report in Volterra on January 1st to begin her excavations of Etruscan tombs near the Porta dell'Arco and Porta Diana gates of the Etruscan walls.

She had gone to Ben to announce and celebrate the news. The two had shared a passionate night together for the first time in months and Ben had taken as a sign that their relationship was back on track. But Angela's decision about the ending the relationship had been solidify by the fellowship and knew she had to end their relationship. They had been at home in Forks for the holidays when she tried ending it with him and he had not taken it well so she let it drop.

She finally worked up the courage (or perhaps lack of courage) to end it last night after the going away dinner her advisor and classmates had planned. They had even surprised her by getting her brothers into town for the night. After a night full of laughs, tears, hugs and well wishes she had hugged her younger brothers before they headed back to Washington State and had slipped her hand into Ben's and followed him back to his apartment.

She had quietly sat down with him and looked him in the eyes as she broke it off. His heartbreak was clear and he argued with her that they could make it work, that she needed him and he needed her. She argued they had separated for months until they had shared that night together a month ago.

The two of them had tearfully curled up in his bed for a few hours before he dropped her off at the airport early this morning. He had held her close and she had kissed his cheek before slipping through the doors into the airport. Tears fell down her face as she boarded her first flight and then continued to fall as they sat on the tarmac during the heavy fog before the plane was sent back to the gate because of an incoming thunderstorm. Her layover in New York went from three hours to 15 minutes.

And despite her best efforts and the time spent on the phone in Seattle, she was missing her flight to Volterra - the light that had been at the shinning at the end of a horrible 24 hours was dimming. She took a deep breath and found that in such a cold, sterile environment as the airport terminal she smelled leather and mahogany. The scent had always calmed her, she sighed at the comfort it brought and kept her eyes closed. She let the stress roll off her shoulders as she hummed a melody and breathed in the scent.

Suddenly the comforting feeling was gone and the calmness that enveloped her disappeared.

"Miss Weber, can you come to the counter?" Her eyes flew open at the woman's voice. She turned back towards the counter and looked at the clock behind the counter. She realized she had been lost in her thoughts for forty-five minutes.

"Yes?"

"We've got you on the next flight to Rome; which leaves at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. We've got a complimentary room for you at the Courtyard by Marriott and have set up shuttle service to get you there tonight and to get you back to the airport tomorrow morning. I'm sorry we couldn't get you on this flight, but I will be here tomorrow morning and we will get you to Rome in the morning."

"Thanks," she said as she collected her things. A younger gentleman dressed in black was waiting for her at the end of the concourse and escorted her to the shuttle that took her to hotel. When she reached the complimentary room she fell on the bed and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day Angela's luck started to turn around. She found herself seated comfortably in first class, the flight attendants seemed to take extra care of her and she was pleasantly surprised that the plane had wifi. She was able to spend some time working on some of her excavation plans as she listened to some of her favorite music.

The eight-hour flight flew by and before she knew it the pilot was speaking over the intercom.

"Signore e signori, siamo entrati lo spazio aereo italiano e sarà a breve atterraggio."

Angela picked up enough Italian from the tutor she had worked with before leaving the she understood that they were in Italy and would be landing shortly. It took every ounce of self-control to not squeal out in excitement. She figured that a 22-year-old squealing in a crowded airplane would bring some unwanted attention.

Digging around in her carry-on she pulled out a worn leather-covered notebook. This specific journal had been her confessional since she was 18 - she'd enjoyed writing in journals since she was 15. She packed up two boxes of notebooks and put those in storage before leaving. Since giving up playing the piano, her passion for archeology consumed her but she missed the creative outlet that playing the piano gave her so she poured her heart out in her journaling.

**_It's December 29th, 2009 and I'm finally breathing Italian air. I can't believe it. I'm excited, anxious, scared and happy. But underneath it all, there's a bittersweet feeling. I know I'm probably being silly but I still can't help but think how different my life could have been...it's been over three years and I still can't won't forgive myself for what happened. Ending it with Ben just made it so much more final, as if we had lived out a life that we both knew was never going to exist..._**

Angela graduated from high school on abnormally clear and warm day in May 2006. It had been one of the happiest days of her life - like any typical graduating senior. A month later her best friend, Bella Swan, had married Edward Cullen. The June 15th wedding had been as outlandish, beautiful and over-the-top as she had imagined. She attended the wedding with Ben, and they even made a double date of the night with Jessica Stanley and Mike Newton. The reception had amazed - she even enjoyed a few glasses of chardonnay; showing her friends that she wasn't the uptight, conservative, goody-two shoes they thought she was.

That was also the night she had lost her virginity to Ben and the night that would change her life forever.


	4. Chapter 4

She hadn't meant for it to happen but she never regretted the decision. The couple had arrived back at Ben's empty house after the reception and had been lazily sitting together on the porch talking about their dreams, hopes, desires and their future.

"Do you want to stay the night?" Ben questioned after walking into the house to answer a call from his parents. She had quickly agreed and the two had decided to watch a few movies before going to bed. The sappy romance that Angela picked allowed for the two of them to kiss and absently caress each other.

When the move finally ended, they made their way to Ben's bedroom. He pulled out an old t-shirt of his for her to wear and let her into his bathroom first. When she stepped out of the bathroom, he had pulled the covers back and was waiting for her to lie down with him.

Angela crawled in next to him and let out a big sigh as the curled into each other.

"We just fit together, Ben," she whispered as she felt him pull her closer.

"I love you Angela," he mumbled as he drifted off to sleep.

Angela woke up in the middle of the night and turned towards him. She watched him sleep, taking in every detail of his face. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. He didn't budge.

She kissed his nose, and still he didn't move.

She sat up a little so that she could lean in over him and kissed his neck, nibbling slightly on his earlobe. She kissed her way down to his heart that was rhythmically thumbing and laid her right cheek over his chest.

The rhythm calmed her beating heart. She didn't know if it was the emotions of the wedding, the thought of their future or the wine...but she knew she was truly in love with Ben, she wanted to show him how much she loved. Angela slid one hand down to his chest, she had never felt so safe, loved or protected as she did now in his embrace.

She looked up and noticed that Ben was watching her. He pulled her up and kissed her tenderly at first, and for several moments, they merely enjoyed being close together. Her hand drifted up to his chest and came back down...over and over again. He continued to caress the skin on her arm and run up and down her side with the other.

Ben's hands slide up and down her sides, he leaned forward and left a trail of kisses from her lips to her neck. Angela whispered and sighed in his ear as her hands softly glided along his back and dug her nails in on occasion.

Ben found a sensitive spot on her neck, just under her ear, and Angela's eyelids fluttered as a moan escaped.

"Ben, that feels so good."

"I'm glad," he muttered into her flesh. His lips lingered and then moved slowly down to her collar-bone before returning.

He lifted himself off of her just a bit and steadied himself on the arm that was cradling her head. He softly kissed her face as his hand drifted under the old t-shirt and under the curve of her breasts.

"Let me help you," Angela mumbled, pulling her hands away from his back. She slipped the t-shirt over her head and watched as Ben gulped and admired her body. His fingertips trailed along the top of her breasts, feeling her soft flesh. She let out a slow, deep breath as the shivers ran up her spine.

"You're beautiful Angela, absolutely gorgeous." he whispered as he kissed her lips, breaking off any reply she may have had.

"Ben," she moaned. He moved his face over hers and their eyes locked.

"I'm ready," she whispered and could feel the tears falling down her face. "I love you Ben, and I want you to make love to me."


	5. Chapter 5

"Vi auguriamo un ottimo soggiorno a Volterra, la signorina Angela."

"Grazie," Angela cheerfully replied as she closed the taxi door behind her. She had arrived without a hitch at the airport and found herself being swept away by a taxi to Volterra. Her eyes never left the amazing view out her window the entire drive and her heart began to flutter as she looked at what was to become her home.

Podere Bellosguard was just outside the city, in the quiet, peaceful hills of the Alta Val di Cecina. As Angela looked around, the beautiful views and the infinite changing landscapes took her breath away. She was just a walk or bike away from her work site, but was also secluded from the bustling noise of the city. She could smell the grapes and olives from the vineyards and groves that surrounded the farm.

As she stepped inside, she knew the beautiful farmhouse had been carefully restored with respect to traditions and she felt at ease in the rustic style and noticed a few antiques decorating her apartment. From the small kitchen, she could look out into the garden and see there was a beautiful swimming pool. As she made her way down the small hall, she noticed the bathroom was small, but comfortable.

She found her bedroom and laid down on the bed - exhausted from the days events. She slowly closed her eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.

A FEW WEEKS LATER...

Angela had lost track of time. She had been on the her dig site by 7:00 a.m. for the last few weeks and found herself staying well past sunset. As she found her way to her messy bedroom, her phone began to ring. She set her bad down on the bed and started digging through it in search of the source. As she pulled it out, she smiled at the face that greeted her.

"Ciao bello," she said into the phone.

"Fluent in Italian already? Impressive."

"You learn quickly when you speak it daily. I hope you haven't been calling all day - I left my phone here today."

There was silence on the other end. The two had communicated on a semi-regular basis since she had arrived. Even though Angela had ended things - she couldn't cut Ben out of her life completely.

"Ben..are you okay?" she whispered trying not to sound worried.

"I miss my best friend, that's all."

"You're my best friend too."

"I had to call you...especially today."

Angela felt the tears in her eyes at Ben's words and when she realized what he was talking about, a sob escaped her throat as she slid down the wall to the floor.

"You didn't forget did you?"

"Ben Cheney! How could you say such a thing?"

"You've just been so busy...we can't forget..."

"She was my daughter too - I'll never be able to forget that we lost her!" Angela sobbed into the phone.


	6. Chapter 6

Angela had realized she was pregnant about four weeks after Bella and Edwards wedding; four weeks after she and Ben had slept together for the first time.

She had denied it for three weeks since she realized that she had missed her last period. But the morning sickness, the bloating, the roller coaster of emotions - it was becoming harder to hide.

So at seven weeks pregnant, she drove to the Forks newspaper office and pulled Ben out of a meeting and told him they needed to go see a doctor. The ride to Seattle had been quiet - they decided to take a long weekend out-of-town to avoid the watchful eye of the small town they both called home. He held her hand through the entire appointment, and his eyes shined with love when the two of them heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time.

They made a decision together not to tell anyone. Angela decided that she would move to Seattle the next week; telling her friends and family that she wanted to work with the staff and professors of the Anthropology Department at the University of Washington. No one thought twice, they all knew Angela was passionate and was ready to get ahead in her studies.

When she had gone to tell Bella and Edward; she had only spoke to Edward - as Bella was sick and not up to seeing anyone. The conversation she had with Edward had been awkward, to say the least. He kept looking at her with a look of sorrow, as well as glancing down at her stomach every so often. She had hugged him; and he held her a little closer than he normally would and whispered to her "Everything will be alright." The short interaction had rocked her to the core - because she got the unnerving feeling that he knew what was going on - but couldn't figure out how.

Angela also took a job at a local restaurant in Seattle, playing the piano during the evening hours. Music had always been her sanctuary and with the growing life inside of her it became more important to her well-being. It calmed, centered and allowed her to lose herself for a few hours every evening.

The two had made it through their first semester of college together; and had even managed to convince their families that they weren't coming home for the holidays due to a freak snow storm that hit the west coast.

No one back in Forks knew that Angela was expecting.

On a Thursday afternoon that spring, Angela and Ben made their way to their 35 week appointment; where they both heard the heartbeat.

The doctor informed Angela that she was measuring perfect, had gained just the right amount and the baby had turned and was no longer breach.

The couple let out a breath neither of the realized they were holding as neither wanted to admit the last week had been stressful as they both realized they would soon be parents to a living and breathing tiny human being.

They set up appointments with the physicians assistant to com in each week until Angela's due date so they could keep an eye on her blood pressure to make sure it didn't get too high; Angela wasn't worried her blood pressure was always extremely low so there wasn't much chance of it getting high enough to cause a concern.

On Tuesday night, a pain in the top part of Angela's right caused an excruciating pain during her entire shift at the restaurant. She played the piano through the pain and it was a few hours before she finally got comfortable again and by the time she left, the pain had subsided completely.

She mentioned the pain the Ben after her morning class and her advisor, who she had grown close to since she had spent extra weeks that summer on campus, overheard her and suggested that Angela call the doctor to make sure it wasn't anything serious.

Angela called the doctor before lunch and spoke with a nurse, who checked with the doctor and called her back 15 minutes later. The doctor wanted Angela to come in. She called Ben to let him know that she was headed to the doctor - he asked if she needed him to meet her over there. Angela told him that he didn't need to come - she knew he was on his way to one of his more important classes and she admitted on the phone that she was a bit embarrassed about going; they were probably going to tell her that her leg hurt because she was nine months pregnant and carrying an extra 30 pounds on her lithe frame.

When she arrived at the hospital, the nurse took her into a room to wait for the doctor. The nurse checked for a heartbeat like they did at the start of every one of Angela's appointments. But the nurse couldn't find one - which wasn't much a surprise, as the baby had always been a mover.

The nurse tried again but to no avail. She told Angela not to worry, the physicians assistant would be able to do it.

The physicians assistant came in to try too and she couldn't find a heartbeat either.

Angela's mind began to race - she was worried now; as the walked her down to the ultrasound room where she waited for the doctor. Time slowed down for Angela and she called Ben.

"Ben, they can't find a heartbeat and I'm waiting for the doctor to do an ultrasound."

"Angela, I'm on my way."

The doctor came in shortly after the phone call and started doing an ultrasound. He had no expression on his face and he didn't say anything.

"Doctor, did you find the heartbeat?" Angela questioned quietly.

"I'm having trouble finding the heartbeat...or seeing any movement," he said after a moment. He told Angela they would be going downstairs to the perinatologist office to use a better ultrasound machine.

When Angela got downstairs, Ben was waiting and Angela could tell he had cried the entire drive over. She grabbed his hand and they checked in and waited to be called.

When they were called back, the ultrasound tech had the baby on the monitor within moments - but there wasn't any movement, there wasn't a heartbeat and Angela's mind had gone numb.

"Why isn't anyone trying to figure out why you can't find the baby's heartbeat?" she heard Ben ask through tears.

The doctor looked at the couple and broke the news.

The baby had died.

Angela gasped, Ben stopped pacing and stared in shock at the doctor.

They had just heard the baby's heartbeat on Thursday.

"Angela's had a perfect pregnancy - there has to be some mistake," Ben yelled. Angela grabbed Ben's hand as he passed by her as tears fell from her eyes.

"I'm sorry, there's no mistake."

That night, Angela delivered Ashlyn Louisa. The little girl was beautiful and perfect in every way - except that she didn't cry or open her eyes. She had died of a true knot in her umbilical cord, no body knew that she had been desperately fighting for her life.

And in that moment, Angela's heart shattered. It was the day she lost her daughter and it was also the day she decided to never play the piano again.


End file.
